parsons



(No Model.)

P. ABBOTT & G. O. PARSONS.

LEAD AND ORAYON HOLDER.

No. 265,730. Patented O0t.10, 1882.

INVE/VTOHS liwazg s .4650

WITNESSES UNITED STAT S PATENT @rrrca.

PHILLIPS ABBOTT AND CHARLES C. PARSONS, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNORS TO JOSEPHR-EOKENDORFER, F NE\'V YORK, N. Y.

LEAD AND CRAYON HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,730, dated October10, 1882. Application filed May 9, 1882. (N 0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PHILLIPS ABBOTT and CHARLES C. PARSONS, both ofBrooklyn, Kings county, State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Lead and Ora-yon Holders,ot' which the followingis a specification.

Our'invention relates to that kind of pencil or lead and cray onholderin which the sheath or case and lead clamping or grasping andreleasing mechanism are combined with a device which, for conveniencesake, may be termed a stop-gage, arranged and operating to limit theextent to which the lead,-when released, can drop or protrude from thepencil. A lead or crayon holder embodying this feature is not broadlyclaimed by us. In all other holders, however, of which we have knowledgethe part which constitutes thestop-gage is an additional device separateand distinct from'the lead clamp or grasping device. In our improvedpencil or holder the stop-gage is also the lead clamp or graspingdevice. 'In other words, the one device has the twofold function ofgaging the extent to which the lead may drop and -of graspingand holdingthe lead after it has dropped; and itis this feature which mainlycharacterizes our improvement.

The simplest and most effective way known to us of carrying out ourimprovement is represented in the accompanying drawings. The pencil isin the main similar to the well known Automatic pencil now in themarket, having, like that pencil,jaws longitudinally movable withrespect to the sheath. These jaws may have a somewhat greater range oflengthwise movementthan those of the ordinary Autoinatic, although thisis not essential, and upon their supporting-stems are provided, in rearof the usual swells or inclines which are acted on by the tip of thesheath to cause thejaws to close on the lead, with a second set ofswells or inclines, which, when thejaws are pushed far'enoughforward,are acted on by the sheath or tip to cause the jaws again tomeet or approach one another. In conjunction with the parts thusarranged to operate, we employ a lead-dete'nt, which acts, when the jawsmove forward, to detain or hold the lead until the 5o jaws aresufficiently closed or brought together by the second set of swells orinclines, and is swells 11 against the contracted then removed from thelead sufiiciently to permit the latter to drop untilarrested by thejaws. Thisdetent also acts to hold the lead in the latter position whilethejaws move back 35 to normal position and close on the lead in theusual way.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical central section of a holderembodying our invention in its preferred form, with the parts in normalposition and the lead retracted. Fig. 2.is a like section of the frontportion of the holder with thejaws fully protruded. Fig. 3 y is asectional elevation with the parts in substantially the same position asshown in Fig. 6 1, save that the lead projects from the sheath and isgrasped by the jaws.

A is the sheath or case, terminating in the usual tip or nozzle, (6,which virtually forms part of the sheath.

B is the lead-containing tube, terminating at the front end in springclamping or grasping jaws b, which normally stand apart,and when thelead-tube is retracted are caused to close together by the pressure ofthe tip or nozzle upon their swells or inclines b.

O is the pressure-cap, and D is retractingspring. The parts thus fardescribed, inso far as they co-operate for the purpose of grasping andreleasing the lead, do not differ materially 8o 'from'the like parts oftheAutomatic pencil.

Upon the jawsor theJaw-stems, in rear of the first set of swells orinclines, b, is a second set, If, inside the tip a, and separated fromthe first set by an interval about corresponding to the extent to whichthe lead should protrude from the end of the pencil; and the range ofmovement of the lead-tube is suchthat it can be pressed forward farenough to bring the portion of the 9s tip, as indicated in Fig. 2. Theresult of this is that when the lead-tube is pressed forward from theposition shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 the jaws b, as soon astheir swells I) are removed from contact with the tip, expand 5 orspread apart, and there remain until again closed by the pressure of thesecond set of swells or inclines, L against the interior contracted partof the tip. When the parts are in this position it will of the lead candrop a certain distance beyond the end of the tip a, and will then bringup be seen that the point against thejaws, which thus act as astop-gage. Pressure being removed from the cap 0, the retracting-springD will draw back the tube, and during this movementthejaws will firstspread apart as the swells I) retire from the contracted part of thetip, thus having no injurious contact with the lead during theirrearward movement, and will then close upon and grasp the lead in theusual way,'when their swells Z) are drawn into contact with the tip.

It is of course necessary to provide a detent or retaining device which,during the forward movement of the jaws, will act as a check on the leaduntil the jaws are being closed by the swells b and during the rearwardmovement of tbejaws will retain the lead in the advanced position towhich it may have dropped until grasped by thejaws. One convenient meansfor this purpose is one or more spring pads or fingers, 0, attached tothe sheath and hearing :at their free ends upon the lead throughlougitndinal slots d in the lead-tube. These fingers or pads bear withyielding pressure upon 3 believe to be entirely new with us.

the lead, except when removed or lifted therefrom by the action of a camor rise, 6,011 the lead tube, which latter is so positioned that whenthe tube is pushed forward it will be brought in contact with and liftthe spring checks or detents c from the lead atthe time thejaws havebeen closed sufficiently by the secondset of swells, D to intercept thelead as it drops from the pencil, as indicated in Fig. 2. The instantthejaws move back from this position the risee recedes from thespring-detents, and the latter at once bear upon and hold the lead inits advanced position until thejaws can again close on the lead, asindicated in Fig. 3. By pushi n gforward the pressure-cap far enough andholding thepencil-point uppermost thelead will drop back into thesheath, as in the ordinary Automatic.

Having now described our improvement and the best way known to us ofcarrying the same into effect, we state in conclusion that we do notrestrict ourselves to the special instrumentalities herein shown anddescribed, inasmuch as the same may be considerably varied inconstruction and arralfgement without departure from our invention, thecharacteristic feature of which, as hereinbefore stated, resides in theemployment of the same device by which the lead is held or clamped as astop-gage for limiting the extent to which the loose lead may drop fromthe sheath. This feature we WVhile,

therefore, we do not claim broadly a lead or crayon holder provided witha stop-gage which limits and determines the extent to which the lead mayprotrude from the pencil,

What we do claim as of our invention is- 1. The combination, with thelead clamp or i grasping device of a lead or crayon holder, of means,substantially as described,whereby said clamp or grasping device, at ornear the conclusion of its movement in the direction necessary torelease the lead,is caused to again close sufficiently to intercept orstop the lead, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The comhination, with the sheath or case and thelongitudinally-movable lead-grasping device,of means,substantially ashereinbefore described, whereby the lead-grasping device is operated, ator near the conclusion of its forward movement, to close sufficiently tointercept the lead at a predetermined distance beyond the tip or end ofthe sheath, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the sheath or case, the longitudinally-movablelead-grasping device, and means, substantially as described, whereby thelead-grasping device is caused, at or near the conclusion of its forwardmovement, to close sufficiently to intercept the lead, of a lead detentor retaining device operated to release its hold on the lead at the timeand in the manner substantially as hereinbefore set forth. I

4. The combination of the sheath or case and the longitudinally-movableexpanding leadgraspingjaws, provided with two sets of swells orinclines, arranged and adapted to operate in connection with the sheath,substantially as and for the purpose hereinbet'ore set forth.

5. The combination, substantially as described, of the sheath, thelongitudinally-movable expanding lead-grasping jaws, provided with twosets of swells or inclines, means substantially as described,for movingsaid jaws, a lead detent or retaining device carried by the sheath, anda cam or rise carried by the jaws or some part moving in unisontherewith and operating to lift the detent from the lead at the time andin the manner substantially as set forth.

6. The combination,with the sheatluthe longitudinally-inovablelead-tube, the pressurecap, and the retracting-spring, ofthe expandingleadgrasping jaws provided with two sets of inclines, the lead detent orretaining device carried by the sheath, and the detent-operating cam orrise formed on or carried by the jaws or the lead-tube, substantially asand for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 26th day ofApril, 1852.

Witnesses:

J OHN H. has, JOHN J. OAULDWELL.

